Former Manchester United defender Fabio da Silva has opened up on his heartbreaking final conversation with Emiliano Sala.
Sala died on board a private jet that went missing carrying him from Nantes to Cardiff in January.
The Argentine striker had completed a £15m move to the Premier League side before returning to France to say his goodbyes.
Fabio admits he advised Sala to move to Cardiff, having spent three seasons with the club in south Wales.
On Sala returning to Nantes, the Brazilian told ESPN FC : “He didn’t need to come back because he had already said goodbye. It was not like he was coming back to collect his family.
“He came back because Cardiff had played at Newcastle and the players had two days off. Emiliano knew he had two days and wanted to say goodbye to the club where the fans loved him.
“Emiliano ate lunch with us on Monday, and my last words to him were ‘If there’s anything I can help you with in Cardiff, please tell me because I know the club and the city.’ He nodded and said he would text me.”
Nantes’ players were left devastated as news filtered through of Sala’s disappearance and Fabio admits the Ligue 1 club are still struggling to come to terms.
“When you hear that the plane is missing, you fear that something terrible has happened. You want to believe something else, but you know,” he added.
“The coach was very upset, and the players went home. The preparation for the cup game stopped. The coach didn’t care if we lost points or got fined: he said we were not playing.
“I went home and grabbed and hugged my family, my daughters.
“What happened to Emiliano was tragic. When you’re a footballer, you see more of your teammates than you do of your family because you are always training and travelling. And one day your friend is here and the next he is not.”